Snow ski with porcelain running surface



Aug. 6, 1968 B. EGLIT SNOW SKI WITH PORCELAIN RUNNING SURFACE Filed March 17, 1966 Barney Eglif INVENTOR.

BY W m,

3,395,928 SNOW SKI WITH PORCELAIN RUNNING SURFACE Barney Eglit, 925 S. Mansfield,

Los Angeles, Calif. 90036 Filed Mar. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 535,158 6 Claims. (Cl. 280--11.13)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ski having an undersurface coated with porcelain enamel and forming a low friction running surface of the ski.

This invention relates to skis in general and more particularly to an improved ski construction suited for use on artificial or synthetic snow although capable of also being used on natural snow.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a snow ski having a running surface which will better accommodate the use of the ski on synthetic snow material. In this regard, ski constructions heretofore available have offered too much friction against sliding over such synthetic snow surfaces resulting in abrasion of the running surface and a substantial reduction in the glidability over the synthetic snow surface.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a construction for snow skis which will substantially reduce the coefficient of friction of the running surface without otherwise impairing the structural properties of the ski.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a typical ski constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the ski illustrated in FIGURE 1, showing the running surface thereof.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 3--3 in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a snow ski generally denoted by reference numerals is shown. The body 12 of the ski is made of a relatively flexible material such as wood that extends from the rear section 14 of the ski to the upwardly curved fore section 16 in accordance with the usual ski design including for example the formation of ribs 18 which extend from the intermediate footing portion 20 to which the foot of the sportsman is secured. However, in accordance with the present invention, the entire elongated undersurface 22 of the wooden body 12 does not serve as the running surface for the ski.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 in particular, it will be observed that the undersurface 22 of the wooden body d States Patent 0 12 has a metallic facing 24 secured thereto in the form of a stainless steel strip. Thus, the facing 24 will cover the undersurface 22 of the wooden body with a material that is substantially harder than the wooden body. Also, the stainless steel facing 24 has a relatively high melt temperature so that the undercoating 26 may be heat bonded thereto and present a running surface 28 that has a coefiicient of friction substantially less than that of the facing 24.The coating selected for this purpose is a porcelain enamel which in addition to present- 3,395,928 Patented Aug. 6, 1968 ice ing a smoother surface than the steel facing 24 is substantially equal in hardness to the facing.

The ski of the present invention is particularly suited for use on synthetic snow since the running surface 28 presented thereby is characterized by a coi-fiecient of friction when in contact with the synthetic snow materials substantially equal to the coefficients of friction between natural snow and materials such as hard waxes, plastics or metal. In this regard, the usual synthetic materials involve microcrystalline waxes or flake polyethylene materials which offer excessive friction when running surfaces made of materials such as metal, wood or plastic glide thereover. The stainless steel facing 24 is selected as a hard base for the porcelain enamel so that it may be successfull heat bonded to the bottom of the ski body, the facing 24 itself being suitably secured, glued or bonded to the undersurface 22 of the wooden body.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A ski comprising a wooden body having an elongated undersurface, a stainless steel strip substantially harder than the wooden body bonded to said undersurface, and a porcelain enamel coating on said stainless steel strip substantially equal in hardness thereto and presenting a running surface having a coefiicient of friction substantially less than that of the stainless steel strip.

2. A ski runner adapted for use on synthetic snow comprising a body made of a relatively resilient material, a facing secured to said body and substantially harder than the body, and a porcelain enamel coating bonded to said facing presenting a running surface having a coefficient of friction when sliding over said synthetic snow substantially equal to the coefficient of friction between the facing and natural snow, said facing being formed of a material having a high melt temperature and substantially equal in hardness to said porcelain enamel coating.

3. A ski comprising an elongated ski body structure, and a coating of porcelain enamel on the undersurface of said body structure forming a running surface of the ski.

4. A ski as recited in claim 3, in which said body struc-. I

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 150,896 5/1874 See 280ll.12 2,694,580 11/1954 Head 280--11.13 2,995,379 8/1961 Head 28011.13 3,047,291 7/1962 Hall 27256.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 631,879 11/ 1949 Great Britain.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner. 

